This is an unofficial companion to the two-part essay I recently wrote on Bankable Movie Stars – why there has been a decline in the number of those types of actors, and who still currently qualifies as one.
There are no numbers to quantify, or no awards to be considered. This is pure, unadulterated bias on my part, so there is no real introduction to give. These are the actors who I will watch in any project they do, be it action, thriller, horror, musical, romance and/or comedy.
Honourable Mentions (people who I love but won’t necessarily go out of my way to watch … yet): Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Andrew Garfield, Alicia Vikander, Stephen Graham, Elizabeth Debicki.
10. Pedro Pascal
Why I love them: I remember watching Game of Thrones when it was initially airing, and seeing the introduction of Oberyn Martell in the premiere of season four, and going “Wait where the hell did this guy come from?” …he waltzed into a show loaded with cool people playing cool characters and immediately and effortlessly became the coolest out of them all. I couldn’t believe I had never seen him in anything before, but I have fixed that with every project he works on. Pascal has become someone whose career I have followed with great interest. He’s so suave and so fun, but also has a mysterious darker side he can tap into at the drop of a hat.
My favourite performance: Can I say the Community Zoom table read? No? Ok, then it’s definitely still Oberyn Martell. Crushed skull and all, it’s the introduction to the actor that is sometimes the most memorable.
Most out-there performance: In Wonder Woman 1984 he plays a classic comic book villain, complete with over-the-top, swinging-for-the-fences energy, and it’s great (even if the movie itself is so-so).
9. Harrison Ford
Why I love them: He’s Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Need I say more? (Also, he doesn’t really work much anymore due to his being EIGHTY YEARS OLD, so anytime he does anything now it’s kind of a big deal)
My favourite performance: He’s Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Need I say more?
Most out-there performance: The Mosquito Coast is apparently Ford’s favourite movie of his own, which makes complete sense if you know much about the guy. It’s also his zaniest role, probably his least-blockbusteriest role, and the role in which he plays the closest thing to a villain he’s ever played (Anchorman 2 doesn’t count).
8. Leonardo DiCaprio
Why I love them: As you read in Part 2 of my “Bankable Movie Stars” piece, his career is just so fascinating going all the way back to Titanic 25 years ago. No two roles are the same, he picks his roles so deliberately and somehow commands the screen in almost every scene in almost every movie. He is a one-of-a-kind talent these days.
My favourite performance: I tried not to pick this one because I think he does have genuinely better performances, but I couldn’t stop coming back to Billy Costigan in The Departed. I think his collaborations with Quentin Taratino will end up becoming his career-defining performances, but The Departed really was a true showcase for Leo and the beginning of the part of his career where he stopped seeming to care about how he looked and came across on-screen.
Most out-there performance: As a 20-year old kid (who looked like he was 13) in The Quick and the Dead, Leo sizzled and took over the screen alongside Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, and Gene Hackman. The kid really went for it, and by god did he deliver. Alternatively, he tried a South African accent in Blood Diamond so maybe that counts for more.
7. Chris Pine
Why I love them: Effortlessly talented, and I know he often does different versions of the same kind of character, but it’s kind of refreshing in some ways. I think Pine is absolutely poised to be (buckle your seatbelts, folks), a more multi-talented version of Harrison Ford moving forward. He can do action and drama, but has a really fun comedic streak that shines through his charismatic personality.
My favourite performance: Captain Kirk would be an easy answer, but I absolutely LOVED Pine as Cinderella’s Prince Charming in Into The Woods. It allowed his comedic and musical talents to be on full display in a very fun way. Even if you don’t want to watch the full movie, just go on Youtube and search “Into the Woods Agony” and let yourself be entertained.
Most out-there performance: Outlaw King isn’t it, because the Scottish accent isn’t “out there” enough for me – so it has to be Smokin’ Aces, my introduction to Chris Pine, because it’s such a weird and fun movie and his performance fits the tone perfectly.
6. Chris Evans
Why I love them: I’m cheating the system a little here, but his off-screen personality is just so magnetic that it’s hard not to like him.
My favourite performance: I can’t NOT pick Captain America. I recently had conversations with multiple friends about what the top-5 superhero performances were, and the only constant through all discussions was that Evans as Cap is a lock.
Most out-there performance: Most people would say Knives Out, but I would say those people haven’t watched The Iceman. For me, it’s The Losers. It’s a fun action movie worth checking out, but his performance in the elevator/window scene is worth the price of admission by itself.
5. Cillian Murphy
Why I love them: He’s just so damn good. His unconventional and handsomely creepy looks lend themselves to his being cast usually as a villain or a darker personality, but he has the depth to usually (not always) make you care about this person in a weird way.
My favourite performance: Without a shadow of a doubt, Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders – although I have a sneaking suspicion that his titular role in the upcoming Oppenheimer may at least challenge it.
Most out-there performance: His performance as the Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is where Murphy really gets to cook. Batman Begins in particular is an equally fun yet chilling role.
4. Adam Driver
Why I love them: His choices as an actor are incredibly interesting. He will do small, low-budget indie movies as the lead character and then turn around and work in big blockbusters like Star Wars and The Last Duel. He disappears into every role seamlessly and isn’t afraid to do really weird roles in really weird movies. He’s incredibly talented at different things (Juillard-trained, meaning acting and music skills)
My favourite performance: It’s tough to pick just one, honestly, and this will seem like a cop out answer, but I honestly really love his turn as Kylo Ren. Go ahead, laugh, but I love the combination of energy and nuance he brings to the table in a role that he made memorable amidst a bunch of weird writing choices.
Most out-there performance: It’s a movie I haven’t seen, but in the operatic movie Annette, there are apparently multiple scenes where Driver is belting out songs while performing…acts…with Marion Cotillard. Yeah, that is out there.
3. Charlize Theron
Why I love them: Simple, she’s so badass. She has a dominating presence on-screen thanks to her stunning looks and intimidating height, and her recent foray into full-fledged action means any action project she does is must-watch for me.
My favourite performance: Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road is the central performance in a nonstop thrill ride. By far the most emotional and also the most relentlessly tough and active role (it probably should be Max, but he’s chained to the front of a car for most of the first act).
Most out-there performance: It’s probably also Mad Max: Fury Road – her previous attempts at sci-fi action hadn’t gone particularly well, and it’s such a unique role in such a unique movie that I think it has to be this.
2. Oscar Isaac
Why I love them: Isaac is a chameleon and is super compelling onscreen. He can command a scene with his presence or disappear into it entirely. Full disclosure, I had him much lower on this list until Moon Knight episodes began being released.
My Favourite performance: Ex Machina – the performance which introduced a lot of us to his talent, and when Hollywood really started to unlock his potential.
Most out-there performance: The traditionalist in me has to bring up his completely unhinged and “I hate how much I like this villain” performance in Robin Hood, seeing Isaac go full campy Bond villain, but … it kind of has to be Moon Knight now, right?
1. Tom Hardy
Why I love them: Hardy is fascinating because he really is coming into his own as an action star, but is able to act so much with his eyes, which is why he was so great as Bane and also in Dunkirk. If there’s any actor working today choosing their work based on the “one for me, one for them” philosophy it has to be Hardy, but he commits himself equally to each one, disappearing in all of his roles (as some have noted, sometimes to his detriment). It’s also nice to see an actor with his talent be able to just sit back and have fun with a role like Eddie Brock/Venom.
My Favourite performance: Alfie Solomons, Peaky Blinders, who is probably my favourite character ever put on screen. I mean, he has his own sound bite, separate from the show, titled “The Gospel of Alfie Solomons” – how great is that?
Most out-there performance: Probably Eddie Brock/Venom, as it goes against his normally serious persona. And also because he really, REALLY goes for it in this role.
Talking Films 